“Despite having three quality young riders to develop programs for, we have come up with a plan that the boys, and the team, are very excited about,” directeur sportif Matt White said in an official announcement.

“They have each pleasantly surprised us with their results over the last year, but we have a long term plan and we are not getting ahead of ourselves. Our priority is still to continue their development at a speed that suits them individually.”

White said Chaves, who finished second at the 2016 Giro d’Italia, third at the Vuelta a Espana and won the end of season Il Lombardia, has earned his right to lead the team in the world’s biggest race.

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“Esteban has proved that he is ready, and he deserves this opportunity,” White said. “I think it’s pretty unrealistic to expect anyone to win their first Tour de France but physically, Esteban has shown he can ride general classification at Grand Tours and he can handle the stress involved.”